Extra Income for Moms

A day in a working stay-at-home mom life - shooting a dress for Zema Boutique when my son decides to jump into the shot :)

Looking to make money from home? I've been doing it for 7 years and in this post I will share some resources for moms to make a few extra bucks online. Scroll below for 7 ways to earn!

It's hard to be a stay at home mom.

You are responsible for the kids the entire day.
You are the entertainer.
The cook.
The driver.
The cleaning lady.
The referee.
The peace maker.
The pace maker.
You basically run the whole show.
And the show often runs you into the ground.
You have no breaks, no alone time, you make no money and you are at the mercy of other people's moods and schedules.

It's hard to be a working mom.

The guilt of leaving your children every morning.
The worrying for their well being while they are in someone else's care.
The constant race to get everything done.
The balancing act of staying on schedule.
Comparing yourself to other parents.
Doing your best to provide a great future for your kids.
Carving out time to spend as a family.
Carving out time to take care of your home.
Crashing on the couch in the end of the day only to realize you still have dishes to do...

And then there is a middle ground - a working stay at home mom.

You get to work while staying home with your little one(s).
You get to witness every moment of them growing up, to teach them, care for them, cry and laugh with them.
You will be perpetually sleep deprived, sometimes walking two steps away from a nervous melt down and trying to decide what's more important - income or sanity.
Some days you will need to cram an entire 8 hour work day into your kid's two hour nap.
And yet, you get to be your own boss, set your own pace and reach your goals - on your own terms.

All that said, whatever path you choose to follow, most of us can use some extra income. Whether you are a stay at home mom who is looking to make a few extra bucks, a working mom struggling to pay the ever-multiplying bills, or are tired of the corporate world and looking to transition to work from home, there are lots of ways to make money over the Internet. Here are a few of them:

Seven Ways To Make Money From Home

1. Create.

If you are crafty and creative, making things and selling them online is a great way to supplement your income. Etsy is a marketplace for selling homemade goods. Some of the products that are selling well right now are busy books, hats with sequin writing, website templates and macaroons. Macaroons always sell well ;)

2. Sell your skill.

There are many websites where you can make money for performing certain tasks. You can translate something, create logos, give consult, enter data, file tax returns, tutor, edit photos, create websites and so on. The list is endless. Here are a few sites where you can offer your services:

Amazon Mechanical Turk - Amazon is a giant in everything, including a work-at-home market. This site allows you to post your skills for sale or to apply for projects others are offering.

Fiverr - Every service on this site costs five bucks. For example, you can edit a photo at $5/picture or to proofread and edit a 1000 word text for the same price. Doing a few of these projects a day can turn into a nice chunk of change.

Live Person - This is a great place to give and receive online consultation via voice or chat. If you are looking to turn your skills into a consulting business, this is the place to consider.

SpeakWrite - This site pays you up to $15/hour to transcribe information while working on your own schedule.

3. Review.

Almost everything on the Internet is tested to optimize its performance. You can capitalize on that fact by becoming a part of the process. Here's how:

UserTesting - This website pays you for testing other sites. You would browse someone's site to see how easy it is to navigate and to spot any errors, while recording the process and doing voice narration. The purpose is for website owners to test how well their sites work and to improve their performance, engagement and, eventually, conversion. And you will get $10 for completing this valuable task which would take you about 15-20 minutes.

LeapForce - Their site is a bit confusing, but what this company does is hire people to view and rank websites. If you are internet-savvy and love doing research, this is a perfect gig for you, paying anywhere from $11 and up)

SwagBucks - this website lets you earn free gift cards for taking surveys, watching videos, browsing the net and so on. There are many similar websites including GlobalTestMarket, InboxDollars, Survey Club and many more!

4. Sell product.

We've all seen it. Shakeology, BeachBody, Herbalife, Rodan + Fields - these are just some of the products that are likely all over your Facebook feed, distributed by your online friends. While I am skeptical about the whole process, and most importantly - the results these products produce, I know many people who are successful at making money this way. If you are a good salesman, have an online following and believe in a product, you can turn your way of life into a form of income.

5. Promote products.

Unlike the MLM marketing discussed above, promoting a certain product does not require for you to take stock (so you aren't paying anything upfront!). You simply become a brand ambassador and use social media to draw sales while earning a commission. For example, Zema Boutique, which sells gorgeous and unique dresses, has a program where you earn 30% commission for directing shoppers to this online store. Your commission posts once they make a purchase using a discount code you provide. Read more about working for Zema here

6. Write.

As you might have guessed, my blogs make money. I have several revenue streams including affiliate marketing, advertising and sponsored posts. If you have a passion for writing and know how to publish and promote online, creating and monetizing content is a great idea.

Writing is not only a way to convert your life experiences into a revenue stream but also a powerful way to inspire others. For example, I recently came across this gal, who became a single mom shortly after her little one was born. She was crushed by the burden of it all, but instead of letting it overcome her, she started writing about it. Well, her memoir has recently been bought by Penguin Random House and is now available on Amazon! So, if you have an amazing story to tell, be sure there are people out there who will want to hear it!

In addition, you can write articles online and get paid for creating content. Your posts have to be well researched and typically around 1500 words long. The pay can be between $50 and $200 a post, and even more for well-written and established writers. Here are some of the websites where you can submit your writing:

7. Sell your stuff.

Remember those pre-pregnancy designer jeans you still can't fit into but only wore once or twice? Or the shoes that no longer fit because your feet grew half a size after having a baby? Or the ton of newborn baby clothes you little one never got to wear because they were 9 lbs at birth? How about the million toys your bundle of joy is no longer interested in? Well, you can finally get rid of all these things taking up the precious room in your closets and make money by doing so! List it for sale online - here are a few websites where you can do that:

Ebay - The most popular online auction site. It is typically free to list but once your item sells you will pay somewhere between 10 to 15% to Ebay and Paypal for the transaction.

OfferUp - a mobile app where you can list items for sale locally and get in touch with buyers in your community to complete a transaction in person. Doesn't cost anything.

ThredUp - this service sends you a Clean Out Kit (a plastic bag you are to fill with items you want to get rid of and a shipping label to send it to ThredUp once you are done) and will pay you for your things. Some items you will get paid for upfront, while others (more expensive ones) will be sold on consignment. Be sure to read their acceptance guide before you send anything to them!

TheRealReal - an online consignment store for high-end and brand name items.

Poshmark - similar to Ebay, however, items are listed at a set price without an auction. Poshmark also takes a smaller commission than Ebay does.

Craigslist - an online bulletin board where you can put your items for sale and arrange pick up with local buyers.

Facebook - there are many groups on Facebook where you can sell your stuff locally. Just type in your city's name and the word "sell" in Facebook's search engine and several will likely pop up!

I hope this guide will help you find ways to supplement your income, if not replace your day-time job. Whatever you do, keep it professional. Just because you are working from your couch in your pajamas (and you really shouldn't be! Getting dressed for work every day actually helps put you in the right mindset to get things done) doesn't mean you can be sloppy about your work. Approach whatever you do with passion, determination and enthusiasm, and you can accomplish great things. Good Luck!

Thursday, August 4, 2016